Roller-type paint applicators are well known in the art. A deficiency in present designs, however, has been recognized by personnel who regularly use the applicators. Over extended periods of use, current tubular paint applicators tend to work off of their carrying rotary spindles. In typical configurations, the roller paint applicator is retained upon a rotary spindle exclusively by the frictional fit therebetween. As a result of varying forces experienced in the painting process, it is common for the cylindrical roller paint applicator to begin to slowly migrate away from the handled end of the rotary applicator holder. This is an undesirable characteristic and one which must be periodically remedied by the user pushing the roller back onto the spindle. In almost all cases, all possible points of contact are covered with paint and there is no suitable engagement area for the user to apply a re-positioning force to such a dislocated roller applicator.
This characteristic of conventionally designed roll paint applicators has been recognized in U.S. Pat. No. 2,766,473 to Thackara for a Rotary Paint Applicator. In the '473 patent, this gradual disengagement is prevented through the use of a securing end cap that engages a distal end of the rotary axle of the carrying spindle utilizing a U-shaped spring clip that is adapted to have one leg engage within a recess slot upon the axil. This solution to the problem, however, requires multiple components and relatively complicated interactions within the securing mechanism. Still further, the easy engagement of face-to-face surfaces is not utilized as in the present invention.
In view of the above described deficiencies associated with the use of known roller paint applicators, the present invention has been developed to alleviate these drawbacks and provide further benefits to the user. These enhancements and benefits are described in greater detail herein below with respect to several alternative embodiments of the present invention.